29 July 2023 , 11:12
891
0
Lance Stroll crashed as an Aston Martin tyre gamble failed in Sprint qualifying – condemning his team-mate and birthday boy Fernando Alonso in the process.
The delayed session took place on a drying Spa-Francorchamps track after the morning rain abated. So the cars began on intermediate tyres, waiting for the first team to blink and risk slicks.
Aston Martin were the ones who did just that, at the end of SQ2. They put Stroll on the medium tyres, hoping to benefit from the extra pace and secure a place in the top 10 for the start of the Sprint.
But the Canadian was concerned, telling his team over the radio: "It's too early." And was proven right as he lost control and smashed into the wall.
To make matters worse for his team, it had a knock-on effect on Alonso. He was yet to set a representative time in that part of the session and so he never got the chance to go quick enough to secure a spot in the top 10.
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
Aston Martin brushed off the outcome in a social media post, which read: "A brave move from the team in SQ2, but unfortunately, it's one that doesn't pay off, as both drivers are out. Shifting our focus to the Sprint now, we'll give it our all."
The Spaniard was less optimistic and remained quiet over the radio when informed by his team that the session would not be restarted and that he was out. And, asked afterwards what would be possible for him in the Sprint, he simply replied: "Nothing, nothing."
Stroll's crash gave Alonso nothing extra to smile about on his birthday (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Alonso, who is celebrating his 42nd birthday, will start the Sprint 15th on the grid with Stroll one place ahead of him. Both Williams cars and Daniel Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri will be ahead of them as the others out in SQ2 because of the premature end to the session.
Max Verstappen, perhaps unsurprisingly, took pole position for the Sprint. But he did so by only 11 thousandths of a second over Oscar Piastri, who produced a mighty lap in his McLaren to threaten the Red Bull racer.
Carlos Sainz was also very close and Charles Leclerc had to settle for fourth on the grid after making a mistake towards the end of what looked to be a very quick lap. Pierre Gasly was fifth fastest ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while George Russell was slowest of all of those in the top 10.